IIMs planning changes in Common Entrance Test

PTI|Oct 15, 2012, 18:22PM IST

New Delhi: With students from engineering background dominating management programmes in IIMs, the premier B-schools are planning some changes in the Common Admission Test to ensure a broad-based representation.

"Efforts are on to have a re-look at the Common Admission Test (CAT)...some changes that will be helpful for people from other discipline," said CAT 2012 convener and professor at IIM Kozhikode SSS Kumar. He, however, refused to divulge details saying the plan was still at the drawing board stage and deliberations were underway.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, he said over 67 per cent (over 1.44 lakh) of the candidates appearing for the ongoing the CAT this year are from engineering discipline. Total number of candidates registered for CAT are 2,14,068. IIM Kozhikode director Debashis Chatterjee said the aim was to have a broad-based talent of human pool across disciplines and the best minds.

Managing director of Prometric India Soumitra Roy which is partnering with IIMs in holding the test said by the end of today over 36,000 candidates would have appeared for the test, being held in a staggered manner till November 6.

The registration this year for the CAT test has also thrown in some interesting trend.

Around 17,000 students appearing this year have come with two to three years of experience. Percentage of candidates coming from agriculture and architecture background has also increased. However, candidates appearing from Humanities stream have dropped from 3,780 last year to 3,404 this year.